travelogue: wales, part 3 of 3, traeth bach, the witch's cauldron and aberaeron

this was such a spectacular coastal walk from penbryn to llangrannog; a wild stretch of the coastal path.  we never made it to llangrannog, instead we stopped by a most beautiful secluded beach, traeth bach, at mid point.  it was quite the scramble to get down; it's not for the faint of heart so it took me a tad longer than my boys.  

we just hung out, kai discovered a cave on the tidal island which we later learned is used by seals for breeding during late summer/early fall, and there were lots of rocks to climb on.  although it would have been lovely to continue on, we couldn't resist the beach.  such an idyllic little spot.

on the way back up, the weather turned and it began to rain, sometimes pouring!  fighting with our plastic anoraks in the wind, we were finally happy to make it back to the car park and the plump tart - a cafe where we warmed up with tea and because we were famished we ate sandwiches and pastries which were simply delicious. 

 

back at whitesands, a popular surf beach especially for beginners.  the setting was lovely of course, with its sandy beach and blue clear water.  i was thankful for the wet-suit, it does keep you warm but i'm glad that there isn't a photo of me wearing one!  

i almost didn't join my boys - it wasn't the warmest day, the water was cold, and i have a fear of sharks (i have no idea if sharks frequent the area).  we went through the basics with the instructor, from cardigan bay activity, and although i was unable to stand on the board, it was great fun to ride the waves; i can see the attraction.  stefan didn't realize just how tiring surfing would be and kai absolutely loved it, he was in his natural habitat.

after a morning of trying to surf, we were famished and tired... we found the golden lion, a traditional, cozy inn with fantastic pub food, on our way to the witch's cauldron coastal hike.

we started in the village of moylegrove and followed the path for ceibour beach and then onto the coastal path where the sheer drops freaked me out but wow, what a sight.  mother nature is amazing.  the witches cauldron at the end of the hike is a collapsed cavern which you can swim in.  this was our hope but we overestimated the weather.  we saw a group of kids coasteering... kai would have loved it. if there is a next time, i'm signing him up.

aberaeron is a picturesque seaside resort town with georgian houses in bright colors.  we perused the shops, ate our last meal at the hive and indulged in their  "famous" honey ice cream... it was good.  we were just a few days too early for their welsh ponies and cob festival :)

wales felt like we had found a hidden gem; our expectations were far exceeded.  i hope we get to return one day.